NY Times reports

NY Times reports

LIBREVILLE, Gabon The Bongo family extended its 41-year reign over this resource-rich country on Thursday as the son of Africas longest-serving ruler was declared the winner of a disputed presidential election.

Scattered protests and violence broke out across this nation of about 1.3 million, an important oil exporter with close ties to France, its former colonial ruler. Backers of two losing candidates set fire to the French Consulate in Gabon’s second-largest city, Port-Gentil, put cars and tires to the torch here in the capital and shouted hostile slogans and threw rocks at French people.

France advised its 10,000 citizens here to stay indoors. Facilities of the French oil company Total were attacked.

Ali Ben Bongo, whose father, Omar Bongo, died in June after ruling for 41 years, was a heavy favorite because of the wealth his family had accumulated after decades in power. The electoral commission said he won with 42 percent of Sunday’s vote, ahead of former Interior Minister Andre Mba Obame, who received 26 percent, and Pierre Mamboundou, a longtime opponent of the Bongos, who got 25 percent.

Mr. Bongo joined the government at an early age, and he has been the foreign minister and most recently the defense minister, in control of the army.